By Laurie Kamens
Now, almost three years later, the cancer is in remission and Austin, who is set to attend the sixth grade at Lawrence Middle School next month, is doing fine, according to his parents. However, the young cancer survivor has endured much since first being diagnosed, including some lateral hearing loss.
His battle to beat the disease landed him on the pitcher's mound at Shea Stadium. Austin was selected to throw out the first pitch at the Starlight Starbright Foundation-sponsored Mets game on June 20. When asked how it felt to stand out there in the middle of the stadium surrounded by a large crowd, Austin hesitated before pronouncing, "It was scary, yet fun."
The event raised more than $110,000 for the foundation's NY/NJ/CT chapter, and, "It was a nice day and the whole family was there to enjoy it," said his mother. In addition to Austin's father Yuval and mother Roseanne, the game was attended by his 8-year-old sister Alana and 1-year-old brother Davis. "It was very exciting," said Roseanne in summing up the whole experience.
Austin was selected to throw out the first pitch through the Schneider Children's Hospital at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park where he was treated, and like a typical 11-year-old boy, nonchalantly said the experience was exciting. His mother elaborated saying, "It was thrilling that he got selected and we were all very happy for him. This was a great opportunity, I mean, who wouldn't want to do something like this?"
Before throwing out the first pitch, Austin, a Mets fan, got the opportunity to meet a few of the team's players. In addition, a representative of the Starlight foundation bought memorabilia and handed it out to the children at the game. For Austin, who received a signed baseball hat, "It made his day," said his mother.
Though this was the family's first and only involvement with the charity, when asked why it is important to be associated with an organization like this, Roseanne simply stated, "It is a great cause."
The Starlight Starbright Foundation is a non-profit organization that, according to its Web site, is dedicated to "making a world of difference" for critically ill children and their families. The foundation serves more than 250,000 children a year by granting wishes, conducting a variety of outpatient services and providing in-hospital programs for terminally ill children. According to the foundation's mission statement, "Starlight's goal is to help seriously ill children experience the simple joys of being a child."
Nothing is simpler than throwing around a baseball, and when asked if this experience is something he will remember for years to come, Austin said, "Yeah, I had to put a little effort into it but it was fun."
Comments about this story? acoen@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
